Sliding-door hanger



Dec. 16, 1930.' B. RowNTREE '14,784,910

SLIDING DoqR HANGER y Filed sept. 14. 1927 2 sheets-snm 1 W73 A|TT NEYS.

V2 IN VEN TOR.

Dec. 16, 1930. B. RowNTREE 1,784,910

' SLIDING DOOR HANGER i Filed Sept. 14, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. BEE/miioW/wzfz'.

5 AT ORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 16, 1930 Pix-'flauwv ori-*ice BERNARD ROWN TREE,

sLIDING-noo 0F CARMEL'HIGHLANDS, CALIFORNIA R HANGER f Application filed September 14, 1927. Serial No. 219,448.n

relates` to sliding door hangers for elevators, garages, Warehouses andthe like, and has for its principal object the provision of rolling means for supporting sliding doors suchthat the same shall consistofas few parts as possible, with provisions for reducing friction solas to require a. minimum of effort to open and close the door. Q

A .further ,object of the invention is to pro` vide a door hanger of such construction that when the door. is displaced` from thevertical vplane or attempts to jump or tiltin the line of its travel it is prevented from leaving its track with the introduction of littleor no additionalfriction. Thus whether the door be displaced longitudinally, 'transversely or both, from its normal position it will not jam but will move as easilyas before its displacement. By virtue of the construction employedto accomplish this object offthe invention it is not` essential that the doorbe hung plumb from its supporting memberorjV thatthe supporting member itself be installed plumb on the wall of the building. Y Further objects .of the invention will be apparent and the invention itself will Vbe better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a door and its supporting structurel showing the positions of two door hangers embodying the subject matter of this invention; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of a preferred form of the doorhanger; Fig. 3 is al crosssectional viewof the vhanger taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. l is a partialcross-sectional view of a modified form of the hanger; Fig. 5 Vis a side elevation view of a door hanger embodying another form of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a crosssectional viewtaken substantially on the lineV 6*6 of Fig. 5. `V Y Referring to Figs.k2 and 3, the numeral 1 indicates a door header or the side of `the structure in connection with which the slidable door 2 is used. Just above `the upper edge of the door 2 a channel member 8, which may be and preferablyis in the form of a commereial channel iron, is bolted or` otherwise This invention r Since this ball 20 rotates secured to the door header 1 by fastening means, not illustrated in the drawings, `since they are well known in the'art. The inner surface'of the lower lege ofthe channel member 3 `has fastened thereto a track 5 preferably in the form of a half-round rod extending the length of the channel member 3V and securely fastened in position by means ofthe screws 6. The innersurfac'e ofthe upper leg 7 of the lchannel Vmember 3 is grooved orrecessed preferably along a cylindrical surface, the centen of the radius of which coincides with the center line8 of the track 5. A strap 9 is securely fastened to the upper portion of the door 2 by suitable means, such as the screws 10 illustrated in Figs. 2 and'3. A hub member v11 is positioned within a hole located in the upper end of the strap 9. Two substantially circular discs 12 and 13 are positioned on the hub member 11 as shown in Fig. 3, these discs being i provide portions 14 and 15. A sheaveor grooved 'wheel 16is` located betweenthe spaced discs 12 and land is adapted to rotate freely and travel along lthe surface of the track 5. The sheave lf3-rotates `freely with respect to the hub member` 11 by virtue of Va plurality of bearing rolls 17 equally spaced about the hub member 11, between this member and the sheave 16. The rollers 17 are held in posit-ion byannular guides 18 in which the trunnions 19 of thebearing rolls 17 arefree to rotate. A bearing ball 20 is preferably positioned between the proj ecting'portionsle and 15 in suitable recesses therein and, in the normal operation of the device, rolls freely over the upper surface of the sheave 16. If the door 2 is raisedfor any reason during the movement thereof the bearing ball 20 will likewise be raised and brought into Contact with the curved recess in the-channel leg 7.

in a direction corresponding tothe direction in which the door is moving, little ,or noadditional friction will be caused between the-parts of the apparatus when the ball rotates in the cylindrical groove ifthe door 2 be raised above its normal position. f

If the door 2 is displaced from'the vertical d with upwardlyprojecting l center line is notperpendicullar to the plane of the door 2, the apparatus will operatewitliout any additional friction. j

rIhe manner of mounting the door hanger,

described above, upon the hubv 11` will beobvious to one skilled in the art and needv not be described herein. Vhen the'apparatus is thus mounted on the hub 11, the ends thereof may be upset, as indicated at 21, or otherwise provided With fastening means to hold the various parts of the apparatus ses'r curely in position.

Referring to tion illustrated that in place of the bearing ball a roller 22 may be provided, Which roller is. mounted upon a shaft 23 supported by the projections 14 and 15 of the discs 12 and13. The contour of the roller 22 is similar to that of the sheave 16 and it, therefore, rotates freely With' the sheave 16. v

the modification of my inven- Iteferring now to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that the strap 9 and the hub or central bearing shaft 11 are similar Vto those shown in Figs. 2 and 3. rIhe semi-cylindrical track member 5 is also similar to that of Fig. `3.v

Upon the central bearing 11 two:V circular plates or discs 25 and 26 are mounted. These being small in diameter they aresubstantia-l-A ly in the form lof annuli. Upoiithe central portion of the central bearing or hub 11-anti friction bearing rolls 27 y are adapted to rotate. Adjacent the ends of the bearing rolls 27 are annular rings 28 and29 having holes therein c through which pass the rotatable spacing members or rods 32.A These rods or spacing members 32 are held in longitudinal position by the annular rings 25 and 26. rIhe rolls 27 are preferably provided With trunnions 27 which are rotatably supported in the annular rings 28 and 29. The annular grooved Wheel or ring 24 rotates upon and in Contact with the bearing rolls 27, and is also held in position on each side by a second set of annular rings 30 and 31, the inner margins of which rest upon the spacing members 32 and are located betiveen the annular rings 25 and 28 and the rings 26 and 29 respectively.

' From the above description of Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that the hanger and its bearmanner as previously described inconnection with Figs. 2 and It Will be noted, however, that no bearing ball is provided between the upper leg 7 and the Wheel 24. Instead of in Fig. 4, itjvvill be observedl ing Wheel operate in substantially the saine the bearing ball the annular rings 30 and 31 are provided With arcuate outer margins which are adapted to roll along the under surface of the channel leg 7, Which surface is recessed as described above.

In each of the modifications described and illustrated herein it will be noted that the uppermost bearing member, viz. the bearing ball or roller or the annular rings, which is adapted to contact With the under surface of the-channel-leg rolls-in the direction for normal rolling upon this surface. Thus if the door lifts offits track this movement is limited by the bearing .member contacting with this surface in such a Waythat little or no additional friction is introduced. In all of the forms described it will be noted that the friction between the parts is not increased by a displacement of. thedoor slightly outof its vertical plane, and at the same time the hang` er is extremely reliable in its action and` free from the tendency to jump from its guiding track under any conditionto. Which the vehicle or device on Which it is placed. may. be subjected. y j

A Having thusdescribed these forms of my invention I Wish it to be understood that various changes may be made by those .skilled in the art. Without departing and scope of my invention.

l What I claim and desiretoprotect by IiettersvPa-tent is z-e 1. A sliding door support of the type described comprising a horizontally extending trackivaya sheave adapted to roll upon said. a door vsupport carried by saidl trackivay,vv sheave, a second trackway having a` concave curved surfacespaced parallel with andad-` and an anti-fric'-A jacent said'first trackway, n tion means adapted to' contact With said'.

sheave and'said second trackvvay 'and prevent l excessive tilting and friction should the sheave be raised from its trackvvay by reason of a tilting of the door in sliding same.

scribed comprising a trackWay,.a sheave adapted to roll upon said trackway, a' door support carried by said sheave, a second trackvvay spaced above andV overhanging said first trackvvay, the surfaceV of said second trackvvay conforming to an arc struck from a point Within said first track- Way and an anti-friction means in rolling contact With said sheave carried by said doorsupport adapted to contact with said second trackivay` and prevent excessive tilting and friction should the sheave beraised from its trackivay by reason of a tilting of the door' from the spirit" 2. A. sliding door support of the type Adehorizontally extendingA door support of the type de trackway having a surface spaced uniformly from the center of lateral swing of the door, and an anti-friction means interposed between the top of said sheave and said second trackway and carried by said door support adapted to contact with said second trackway and prevent excessive tilting and friction should the sheave be raised from its trackway by reason of a tilting or swinging of the door in sliding same.

4. In a door-hanger of the -character described, a door-supporting member, a shaft secured thereto, a bearing wheel rotatable with relation to the shaft, anti-friction rolls between said shaft and wheel, annular guides surrounding` said shaft for holding said rolls in position, said guides having holes formed therein, trunnions carried by said anti-fric tion rolls and journalled in said holes whereby said rolls Will be maintained in spaced relation with each other, and a pair of disks disposed on opposite sides of said Wheel for maintaining alignment of said `rolls and wheel.

5. In a sliding door hanger, a lower track having a convex curved surface, an upper track facing the same and having a concave surface substantially parallel to the surface of said lower track, a sheave having a'surface conforming in shape to thesurface of said lower track and having rolling Contact therewith, and a rotatable member for contacting with said upper track to from leaving the lower track.

BERNARD ROWNTREE.

prevent the sheave i 

